Beliefs and Therapeutic Approaches Used in Counselling

Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management (Dr. William Glasser) is an approach where we understand how our behaviour results from trying to meet one or more of our five basic needs.
Helen holds certificates in both the Basic and Advanced Week of Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management certificates through the William Glasser Institute.
Helen obtained her certificate in Choice Theory, Reality Therapy in February, 2010.

Strengths-Based Approach recognizes and focuses on a client’s strengths. This can be very empowering for clients, especially if they have been victims of abuse and/or the trauma from residential school experience.

Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on where the client is at now, where they want to go and how they are going to get there.

Systems Approach considers what other issues might be affecting or influencing the client in addition to the presenting issue or problem.

Helen believes that everyone possesses resilience. She helps identify that and assists clients on building upon this resilience along their journey.

Helen has taken some training in Narrative Therapy and is using this to assist clients in re-storying their issues in order to explore strengths, as well as areas that the client wishes to address.

Clients are encouraged to identify their needs for service and collaboratively engage in goal-setting for their counselling.

All clients have the ability to make changes in their life. Helen believes in assisting clients in identifying what resolution they want to their issues, rather than providing all of the answers herself.

Helen believes that it is important to work on becoming healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. She likes to implement humour, when appropriate, into her work with clients, since there are many benefits (physically, mentally and physiologically) of laughter.

Helen has added art therapy services to her practice and would love to tell you more about it if you are interested. Art therapy can assist you in expressing your thoughts and feelings through art in a different way than you would through traditional psychotherapy. You do not need to have any artistic ability in order to participate. Art therapy is about the process of using the art.

Areas of Specialty:

Anger & Emotions Management

Stress

Self-care

Adult survivor of Abuse

Goal setting

Issues related to incarceration

Self-Esteem & Worth Issues

Anxiety and mood disorders

Generational awareness

CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management)

Art Therapy

Healing from the Residential School Experience

Family of Origin Issues

Grief and Loss

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost... I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend that I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in ... it’s a habit ... but, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5
I walk down another street.

This poem is taken from Portia Nelson’s "There’s A Hole In My Sidewalk" - a wonderful collection of insights into love and life. The hole in the sidewalk provides a metaphor of life. Life is like a stroll down a somewhat hazardous sidewalk. The story identifies the key feature required to safely navigate life’s sidewalk.

"I don’t know what I want sometimes, but I know that I want to know what I want." - Portia Nelson